The Little Office probably originated as a
monastic devotion around the middle of the eighth century.
Peter the Deacon reports that at the
Benedictine Monastery of
Monte Cassino there was, in addition to the Divine Office, another office "which it is customary to perform in honour of the Holy Mother of God, which
Zachary the Pope commanded under strict precept to the Cassinese Monastery."
The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a variation of the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office). It may have originally been put together to be prayed in connection with the Votive Masses of Our Lady on Saturday, which were written by Alcuin, the liturgical master of Charlemagne’s court. The Little Office did not come into general use before the tenth century.
Peter Damian states that it was already commonly recited amongst the secular clergy of
Italy and France, and through his influence the practice of reciting it in choir after the Monastic Office, was introduced into several Italian houses. In the eleventh century there were at least two versions of the Little Office extant in England. Pre-
English Reformation versions varied considerably, and in England in medieval times the main differences were between the
Sarum and
York uses. In accordance with Pius X's apostolic constitution
Divino afflatu of 1910, the Psalter of both the Breviary and the Little Office was rearranged, producing a different distribution of psalms to be recited at the Little Office than in pre-1910 editions.
Following the Second Vatican Council In 1963, following the
Second Vatican Council,
Pope Paul VI promulgated
Sacrosanctum Concilium which stated: "Members of any institute dedicated to acquiring perfection who, according to their constitutions, are to recite any parts of the divine office are thereby performing the public prayer of the Church. They too perform the public prayer of the Church who, in virtue of their constitutions, recite any short office, provided this is drawn up after the pattern of the divine office and is duly approved." However, in the subsequent reforms following the Second Vatican Council, the Little Office was overshadowed by the revised
Liturgy of the Hours. The Little Office was not officially revised after the Council, as many Congregations abandoned it in order to adopt the
Liturgy of the Hours. According to Pope Paul VI's later Apostolic Letter of 6 August 1966, "although Religious who recite a duly approved Little Office perform the public prayer of the Church (cf. Constitution , No. 98), it is nevertheless recommended to the institutes that in place of the Little Office they adopt the
Divine Office either in part or in whole so that they may participate more intimately in the liturgical life of the Church". Nonetheless, several post-conciliar editions continue to be issued. The
Carmelites produced a revised version of their form of the office, which is still used by some Religious and those who are enrolled in the
Brown Scapular. Additionally Tony Horner, a layman, and John Rotelle, a priest, both formulated their own editions of the Little Office which conformed to the revised
Liturgy of the Hours, both of these are approved for private use. These newer versions include
vernacular translations from the
Latin and follow the new structure of each
Hour in the Office.
Carthusians continue to recite the Office of the Virgin Mary in addition to the Divine Office. At the same time, despite its decline among religious orders after the Council, the traditional Little Office in English and Latin continue to be printed. Carmel Books in the
United Kingdom and several other publishers issued editions usually containing the text as it was in the 1950s. St. Bonaventure Publications publishes an edition edited by
Francis Xavier Lasance and originally issued in 1904, which gives the office as it was before Pius X's revision of the Psalter.
Baronius Press publishes the 1961 text, which is the most recent edition, in a bilingual English and Latin edition, collecting all the
Gregorian chant for the office for the first time in a published edition; while
Angelus Press, the publishing arm of the
Society of Saint Pius X, also publishes an English/Latin edition of the 1961 text; unlike the Baronius edition, this version includes pronunciation marks for the Latin text, as well as Matins, Lauds, and Vespers of the traditional
Office of the Dead. Other publishers like St. Bonaventure Publications make editions available according to the 1910 text, before the reforms of Pius X.
Devotion to the Little Office Saints throughout history who have prayed the Little Office regularly as part of their spiritual practice include: •
Thérèse of Lisieux •
Pier Giorgio Frassati •
Solanus Casey ==Structure==